Do you brine when you smoke a turkey?

[peshewah]

I've smoked alot of turkeys over the years but I've never used a brine. As a matter of fact I don't know how. Can someone help me out with this brine thing. Do I need to brine when I smoke my turkey? Is it better with a brine?

[dtel]

Never tried, but I did go through many lighters trying to keep it lit and even after smoking the whole thing there was no effects at all except a litle sick feeling ?

Smoking turkeys is all [bs] no benefit at all and fish was no better ! [:@]

[JerolW]

I brine my turkey every time, but I don't smoke it. (Can't keep the papers dry).

1 cup of suger, 1 cup salt, 12 peppercorns, 2-3 gallons water.

Submerge the bird for at least 8 hrss and up to 24. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry.

Proceed with cooking.

jerol

[jacksonbart]

Only with my sea monkeys.

[peshewah]

I told my wife I was going to ask the experts. Thanks guys. I'm not real sure about Jerols method.

[JerolW]

Before the brine, cut out the backbone and use for stock for gravy or ?

Then brine.

I cook the butterflied bird at 450 degrees. It takes about 1 1/2 hours for a 16lb bird to cook.

Trust me, would I mislead you?

jerol

p.s. I'm (or was) a classically trained chef (Le Cordon Bleu).

[Oblio]

Smoked turkey rocks !

[phatchef]

Yes, just know it will tenderize and add moisture, so you may want to cook a little longer than normal. Also white wine is nice in a turkey brine. don't forget fresh sage & bayleaf in it when smoking.

[phatchef]

P.S. never trust a skinny chef ; ) says the Phatchef.

[winchester21]

I prefer a Benelli SBE with 3" mag #4 ammo- Smokes them every time- Then fry the sucker in peanut oil- Delicious[] JK

Soak the bird in salty mix seasoned with garlic rice vinegar- Inject with seasoning- smoke using mesquite- I use an el cheapo Walmart electric smoker- dosen't get much better tha this

[peshewah]

This is going to be one heck of a turkey. Brine it is. Thanks for your help guys.

[BigStewMan]

soak it it in the bong water for 15 days--then dry thouroughly before smoking.

[ace168516]

I brined my T-Day turkey last year, even though I roasted it...it was a short brine...this year I will do it again but longer...I was pleased with the results, all you need to remember is salt + water = brine. Add other things you would like to flavor with...soy sauce works well because salty...garlic, and all the great fall spices like sage and rosemary are good too. Just remember to keep the bird at a proper temp meaning lots of ice while in the brine in a cooler. All the favor and tenderness do not matter if your family gets food poisoning because the bird was sitting at 50 degrees for a few hours. It is a great technique and there are plenty of recipes that will work...most of them will be better and give you a better end product...just don't forgert the raw poultry rules! ACE

[Thaddeus Smith]

i don't brine, but i do smoke it. i use a pan filled with apple sauce ..the cheaper and more sugar-filled the better. then i do a light smoke of apple wood at the beginning and a heavy smoke of apple wood about 30 mins before i pull it off. juicy, tender, and a sweet flavor to it... i'll also be doing a leg of lamb on the rotiss over wood pit. mmm.

[Daddy Dee]

I'm glad for this thread.

Today I am going to brine a turkey breast and a chicken, holding another turkey breast and chicken in reserve too cook in the next day or so.

I only have one experience brining poultry and it was a few years ago. I brined some chickens, but didn't use any sugar. I thought the meat was too salty, but my guests thought it was good.

This time, I am cutting the amount of salt in half to see if that makes the product suit my tastes.

[picky]

My personal preference is that I don't brine any of the foods I smoke. I don't care for the saltier taste and the high sodium can wreak havoc with one's blood pressure. - Glenn

[fini]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING......Here's a recipe that I thought you would like for the holidays:





Ingredients:

1 whole turkey

1 large lemon, cut into halves

salt and pepper to taste

butter or olive oil, whichever you prefer



Heat oven to 350 degrees



Rub butter or oil over the skin of the turkey until it is completely coated.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you prefer.



Take a knife and gently separate the skin from the breast meat;

Slide lemon halves under the skin with the peel side up, one on

each side. This way the juice from the lemon will release into the breasts.



Cover and bake for 30-45 minutes. Remove cover and continue

to roast until juices run clear, basting every 15-20 minutes.



If you've followed these steps correctly, your turkey should

look like the one in the picture.



Bon Appetit!

[dtel]

I have never seen a turkey look better !

[oscarsear]

Some birds come brined. That is one reason a 'Butterball' claims to deliver moist meat. But I always brine by birds and there is no reason not to when smoking one. I brine longer when the bird comes unbrined and shorter when they don't. I slow roast and baste @ 333 degrees F X 3.5 hours for a 20+ pounder. They fall apart and the white meat is always moist. BTW I baste using apricot nectar and chicken broth. Makes grand gravy.

[TheEvan]

Nothing beats a BBQ turkey for taste, ease and speed. It has the added benefit, like smoking, of leaving your ovenopen for other food.

First, make a saute mix of a pound of andoille sausage, a large onion, bell pepper, garlic (about 6 cloves) and fresh parsley, all of it chopped fine. Saute the mix in olive oil and/or butter.

Divide the turkey in half. Make deep cuts in the breast and thighs of each half. Stuff the cuts with the saute mix. Force more of the saute mix under the skin. Reserve the remainder of the saute mix.

Now, wrap each half separately in 3 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. Place bone side down on a hot BBQ grill for 1 hour.

Now, take the remaining saute mix and combine with a small can of frozen limeade concentrate and a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce. I didn't stutter about the limeade. Caveat: Do not use KC Masterpiece or similar dark, sticky, molasses-based BBQ sauce. It clashes badly with turkey. Use a medium brown sauce like Stubbs or, preferably, Tony Chachere's.

At the end of 1 hour, turn over the turkey halves. Open the foil enough to pour in some BBQ sauce/limeade, saute mix into each half. Cook for another half hour.

The resulting turkey will need no carving. It will fall off the bone in a heap. Your guests will fall on the stuff and destroy it.